Worth the Wait
by Polgara218
Summary: Although, her attachment to the rain may have come from falling in love in it, rather than of it. She could clearly remember four significant moments that had all occurred in the midst of a storm.


Bella was used to the rain. After spending years living in Forks, Washington, she'd certainly had to adjust. She'd grown used to it, even fond of it over the years.

She'd fallen in love with the fresh smell as the rain hit the cement, the sound it made. She had grown to admire the strength that could be found in a storm, the relentless fury and power. It would be so intense and then slowly is would stop, the sun would come out from behind the clouds and light up the remaining water droplets. It was beautiful.

Although, her attachment to the rain may have come from falling in love in it, rather than of it. She could clearly remember four significant moments that had all occurred in the midst of a storm.

* * *

_Bella had long since given up on the umbrella she clung to in her hands. The wind was so wild that it was doing nothing to keep her from getting soaked and she feared it was going to break any minute. _

_She could feel droplets of water pouring from her hair, which was slung in a ponytail, and running down her back. _

_Her clothes clung to her body and her teeth chattered from the cold. She once again regretted forgetting to bring a jacket that morning, but she had been rushed and in a hurry to get to her classes. _

_It had been one of those days. One where she got a rip in her book bag, was given so much homework she felt her hair was going to go prematurely gray, and to top it all off had learned that her boyfriend wasn't going to be able to make the drive to see her. _

_She had been dating Jake for almost six months. Almost a year and a half since she had called off her wedding with Edward. It had been almost two weeks before she was supposed to say, "I do," when she had received a wake up call from the announcement that her mother was pregnant. _

_She had seen the glow and utter joy on her mother's face and known that she couldn't just give it up. The absolute craving to have a child, a family, of her own was so overpowering that she had been willing to give up her entire future with Edward. _

_It had been a messy break up. Edward wanted to marry her and it killed him that what she wanted was the one thing he could never give her. He had been hurt, which had hurt her. He was still living in Forks, probably waiting for her to come to her senses, but she knew it would never happen. _

_She had gotten accepted into Washington State University and moved to live on campus. She wanted to become an English teacher and hoped to be able to get a job in Forks, or somewhere close. _

_Her father was thrilled, he had nearly jumped for joy when she had called off her wedding and announced her complete new life plan. She went home for holidays and their relationship had improved. The only lying she had to do now was about Jake and the wolves, but it wasn't nearly as hard as having to say goodbye forever. She didn't have to give anything up to be with Jake._

_Jake hadn't found out about her cancelling her wedding until a month after, when he had finally come home. By then she was already packed and was on her way to the university. She had almost turned the car around to go back and see him when Charlie had called her, but her anger had overruled her relief. She was hurting from her break up and her best friend had completely abandoned her and his family. What he had done seemed so irresponsible, not only punishing her but his family too. She had driven the rest of the way without once looking back. _

_In the end, he had called her, which she had ignored, and then he had driven out to see her. They had talked, resolved their feelings, and gone back to being friends. Jake had seemed content to stay that way and had returned back to his life in La Push._

_He had graduated and opened a mechanics shop with Embry and Quil. He was taking online classes to get a business degree and the shop was doing well. _

_They had reconnected over the last Thanksgiving holiday and by Christmas they were finding a way to see each other every weekend. One would go see the other, or they'd meet somewhere in the middle. Everything seemed to just be falling into place, like they had finally managed to get the timing right._

_Then, three months ago between the shop and the pack, the only time she'd see him was when she wanted to make the three to four hour drive back to Forks. _

_She was tired of being the only person putting effort into the relationship, which was a weird change after he had spent so much time chasing after her. She had begun to wonder whether it was just some crush, or maybe he had only been interested because he couldn't have her, and now that he did he had gotten bored. _

_She was tired and all she seemed to be able to do anymore was schoolwork. Her friends had given up on getting her to go and do anything with them, although every once in awhile she'd go out to breakfast with Kendra, her roommate. She had lost all motivation to put herself in any kind of social situation. She preferred to use any free time to read novels and get lost in worlds where things always worked out. _

_She was brought out of her thoughts as the umbrella was freed from her hand by a large gust of wind. She attempted to catch it and finally did, having to backtrack almost half way towards where her last class had been. _

_She turned and moved faster towards her dorms, motivating herself with the idea of a warm shower and then going to sleep. _

_She was almost there when she saw a familiar shape making it's way towards her through the rain. _

_Jake had cut his hair short again, finding it easier to run around as a wolf when he wasn't constantly getting tangled in things or having the extra weight slow him down. She had found that the change made him look older, but that could just be because he seemed older._

_His time after he had run away from home had changed him. She had once seen him as someone who was younger than her, more immature. The maturity and responsibility that he had found in his time away had been disconcerting. _

_It had taken her awhile to get used to the new person that he had become. When he had returned he had taken over as leader of the pack and taken everything more seriously. The change had been hardest on Sam, who had reluctantly stepped down to second in command. Their relationship seemed to be better now, though. _

"_I thought you said that you couldn't come," she said when they were within talking distance._

"_I was able to break away," he explained, looking at her with a slightly amused expression. He was wearing a jacket and appeared to be far less wet then she was._

"_Oh," she offered, unable to come up with anything else to say. She was frustrated with him and at the same time so happy to see him that she had to put effort into remaining upset. _

"_Why don't you to get changed into something dry and I'll take you out to dinner," he offered._

"_Okay, I'll be down in a minute," she agreed._

_She entered her dorm and went to her room, not bothering with the warm shower she had hoped for. She peeled off her wet shirt and jeans and tossed them into her dirty clothes basket._

_She pulled on a red long-sleeved shirt and a nicer pair of jeans, pausing to pick through her hair and braid it. She had been growing it out and it went halfway down her back now. _

_She remembered to grab a jacket this time and was just pulling it on as she left the building and ran towards his car. _

_She got in and was thankful that he had the heaters running. She wrapped her arms around herself as he pulled out into the street and drove towards the small diner that had become one of their favorites to go to when he visited her. _

_She ordered a salad and he ordered three hamburgers, they shared the fries although he ate most of them. One of the things that hadn't changed was his appetite. _

_They talked about insignificant things; classes, work, friends. After they finished their food they walked out to the car and she waited for him to pull out, instead he left the key in the ignition and turned to look at her. _

_She felt her heart stop, he was going to break up with her, in the parking lot of their favorite restaurant. Why couldn't he at least wait until they got back to the campus and she could run up to her dorm? Did he have to do it here, where she was going to have to endure the awkward, horrible ride home?_

"_Bella, I know you're frustrated that I haven't been coming to see you and that it looks like I'm not putting any effort into our relationship and I'm sorry," he said, she was surprised at how well he knew what she was feeling, although she knew she shouldn't be. He was her best friend, and he knew her better than anyone else. _

"_Do we have to do this here?" she asked as her eyes flickered away._

"_I don't want to let this go on any longer," he said and she felt tears burn in the back of her eyes. Why now? Why hadn't things worked out? She had thought they were going well and that they were happy and then what had happened?_

"_I don't want there to be bad feelings between us," he continued and she folded her arms, feeling herself force her sadness to the side. She would not show him that she cared, he would not get to see her cry. _

"_Bella, I love you, and this long distance thing is hard, but it's not going to last forever. This is just a rough patch, trying to make everything work. I know that I need to try harder and I'm sorry that I haven't been," he finished and she looked at him in surprise, this hadn't been what she had expected._

"_Wait, you're not breaking up with me? You haven't gotten bored with me?" she clarified as she struggled to wrap her mind around the change of events. _

"_Bella, I love you. I've loved you for years and I plan on loving you for years more, distance and time is never going to change that. I tried to run away from the pain and the love I felt for you, but it never went away, and now that I have you, I'm not going to let you go," he told her seriously, and as she looked into his eyes she couldn't doubt that it was true._

"_I love you, too. I'm sorry it just took me awhile to realize it and act on it," she whispered, knowing that it appeared weak in comparison to what he had told her._

_He didn't seem to notice, leaning over to kiss her. She felt the spark, that she had ignored all those times that he had kissed her when she was with Edward, she felt the contentment and the desire to never leave his side. _

_When they pulled apart there was a smile on his face, "You were worth the wait."_

"_I'm glad your were patient," she said through her own smile._

* * *

_Bella leaned her head against the car window as she and Jake drove back to Forks from the airport. _

_The two had gone on a trip to visit Renee and she was exhausted after the flight. _

_She had graduated from the University of Washington the year before and was teaching English at Forks High. She was happy, happier then she ever remembered being._

_She still lived with Charlie and she and Jake divided their time between La Push and Forks, enjoying the much shorter distance then what they had been commuting before. _

_Their relationship had survived the distance, although there had been plenty of arguments and fights, along with the endless frustration from either side. Now, it all seemed worth it, to see that their relationship could make it through hard times. _

_She watched as rain ran down the window and disappeared, the droplets clumping together. It was peaceful. _

"_Tired?" Jake enquired, breaking the silence._

"_Yeah, I'll probably sleep for the rest of the weekend, before I have to go back to school. I don't know what I was thinking, I graduated from Forks high, just to end up back there working the same hours and days as I did when I was a student," she complained._

"_But you love your job," he reminded her._

"_Yeah, I love my job. It would be perfect if school could start several hours later, though," she said._

_The two lapsed back into a content silence and then, without warning, Jake pulled over to the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere._

"_What are you doing?" she demanded with frustration. She wanted to get home, start a load of laundry, make dinner for her and Charlie, and then go to bed as soon as possible. This was an unnecessary delay._

"_Bella, I've thought a lot about this and things seemed to be at a good place right now. I waited while you finished school, the garage is doing well, you have a good job that's a reasonable distance from La Push," he listed._

"_Yeah," she said with an edge of impatience. _

"_Bella, will you marry me?" he pulled out a small, black box, from inside of his pocket and opened it. A beautiful glittering ring sat inside; a single round diamond, surrounded by much smaller ones, sitting on a silver band. _

"_This is the best proposal you can come up with? We're in a car at the side of the road, you're not even down on one knee," she spluttered, wishing she had just said yes the moment the words left her mouth. _

"_Alright," he got out of the car and she watched him with panic as he walked around to her side. What was he doing?_

_Then he was opening her door and extending a hand._

"_Jake, it's raining. We're going to get all wet. What are you doing?" she enquired._

"_You wanted a proposal down on one knee, well you're getting it. Come on," he said firmly._

_She unbuckled and took his hand, letting him lead her into the mud at the side of the road. She could feel the rain, but it quickly left her mind as Jake got down on one knee in the middle of the mud._

"_Bella, I've loved you for a very long time, and I'm going to love you forever. From the moment I met you, you've been it for me. I don't want anyone other than you. Will you marry me?" he tried again, and she immediately felt guilty for rejecting him the first time._

"_I wouldn't want to spend my life with anyone else. Yes," she agreed, a smile spreading across her face. _

_He placed the gorgeous ring on her finger and then pulled her into his arm, her feet not touching the ground as her lips met his. In that moment she felt more happiness then she had felt at any other time of her life. _

_The two pulled away laughing, as the rain ran down their face. _

_She looked down at the ring on her finger, that looked as though it belonged there, and she knew that it was exactly where it was meant to be. She was exactly where she was meant to be._

* * *

_They had been engaged for almost a year when they finally reached the date of their wedding. _

_They had decided to build a house in La Push, one near the beach, with a beautiful view. That house was the reason they had decided to wait so long, wanting to be able to live there the moment they were married, rather then living with one of their parents._

_Most of La Push had helped in some way to get the house built and the two's belongings moved in. Everything was finally in place and they were ready to get married._

_Bella had carefully chosen the date, which had completely been decided by the weather. _

_They wanted the ceremony and reception on the beach, right in front of their home and to do that they needed the weather to cooperate._

_They had checked weather forecasts constantly, and kept their fingers crossed after they sent on the invitations. _

_Up until the very day they had been waiting with an edge of impatience and worry that something wasn't going to work out._

_The day of their wedding dawned with sunshine and everyone felt relief. The nice weather had lasted as Bella got into her dress, a stunning ballroom dress; that clung to her torso and flowed out as soon as it reached her waist. Her hair had been curled and placed in a bun, and then covered with her veil. _

_Everything was perfect, mostly thanks to the pack and their wives, along with her family. _

_They made it through the ceremony without incident. Everything flowing smoothly and according to plan._

_It was as Jake leaned in for their first kiss as man and wife that she felt the first drop. She ignored it, hoping that she had imagined it, but as they pulled apart she felt another._

_They had enough time to grab chairs, and food, and run for the cover of the house before the sky broke and rain began pelting the earth. _

_She managed to get inside before she was soaked, although her dress was slightly damp. _

_They set up the food in the kitchen and all of the guests came inside for the reception. Although, it wasn't exactly what they had planned it ended up being just as wonderful as it would have been on the beach._

_She threw her bouquet from the top of the staircase and right into Sue Clearwater's surprised arms. She could see the looks on both Charlie and Billy's faces and felt a momentary surge of worry. _

_The worry was quickly forgotten as the reception ended and the two made their way out to Jake's rabbit to drive to the airport. They were going on a cruise through the Caribbean, that left tomorrow morning. _

_As Bella looked back at her younger sister, her smiling mother, Phil, Charlie, and all of their friends and family. She knew that she had made the right choice and felt any small regrets lingering in the back of her mind leave her for good._

* * *

_Bella placed the box of flashlights and blankets in the living room as she listened to the sound of Jake nailing wood over the outside windows. _

_There had been storm reports going all week that predicted the worst storm in over thirty years to occur that night. _

_Jake had boarded up Billy's house yesterday and helped with some of the other's in La Push and finally had gotten around to their house._

"_Bella, I would have carried that," Jared told her as he entered the house from outside._

"_I'm pregnant, not porcelain," she reminded him, already tired of the overprotective way everyone was treating her._

"_The last thing we need is for you to go into labor right now," Jared pointed out as he grabbed another box, this one filled with candles, before she could get to it._

"_I'm not due for another week," she protested._

"_Just humor us," Jake suggested as he picked up the end of their conversation, coming in with a hammer in one hand and Embry behind him._

_She rolled her eyes, but didn't comment as she sat down on the couch and elevated her sore, swollen ankles. _

_She could barely see her feet anymore over the size of her stomach, but she had lost most of her ground to complain when Emily had announced she was pregnant with twins. She was at least the same size as Bella and still had another three months to go. _

_Bella was mostly relieved that she was only having to worry about one for her first pregnancy. She only had to transition from her and Jake, to one more. Emily had to transition to having two children, all in one pregnancy. Emily seemed incredibly happy, however. _

"_You feeling okay?" Jake asked in concern as he sat down at the edge of the couch._

"_Fine," she assured him. _

"_I'm going to head home. Call one of us if you need anything," Embry told them as he grabbed his car keys from the kitchen table and moved towards the door, Jared right behind him. _

"_You two be careful," she called after them._

_They just laughed, the sound getting cut off as the door closed. She had become known for being overprotective and worrying almost constantly. The pack, who was convinced they were invincible, found it hilarious, although the pack wives and family seemed to agree with her. _

"_Did you talk to Charlie?" Jake enquired as he played with a strand of her hair._

"_Yes, he called to make sure that we were prepared and he wanted to know what our plans were for after the baby was born," she replied._

"_Is he considering retirement?" Jake asked, looking at her in surprise._

"_No, at least not since I told him that I'm just finishing out the school year before I quit," Bella explained._

_As much as she enjoyed teaching, she had decided that she wanted to spend these early years with her child. She figured she'd wait until Jake's and her children were grown and then go back to teaching or maybe they could travel. She had plenty of time to work, and since Jake's job provided enough to support them, there was no need for her added income. She didn't want to miss this time with her child, which she hoped would eventually turn into the plural, children. She only got to live this time in her life once._

"_It's hard to imagine him retiring," Jake admitted, pulling her out of her thoughts._

"_Yeah, I think he'd get bored. He likes having something to do," she agreed._

_The rest of the evening was mostly uneventful and by evening it had begun to softly rain. It swiftly picked up and soon their were loud crashes of thunder and lightning, lighting up the sky. The wind pounded against their house, until she was sure that it was going to blow over._

_She had been feeling pressure in her lower back since early in the evening, but as the hours passed it seemed to becoming more constant and more intense. _

_The power went out around midnight and by then she had contractions coming every eight minutes._

"_Jake, I think we need to go to the hospital," she told him when her contractions had reached seven minutes._

"_Right now," he enquired, his eyes widening in panic._

"_No, next week. Jake, I'd really rather have the baby in a hospital with medicine and highly trained medical workers," she told him, slightly hysterical. _

"_I'll get the car," he agreed, as he left the living room and went to get his keys. She watched as he fumbled to get a jacket on, still half asleep, and she went to get the bags they had packed a month ago, just in case. _

_She paused once, as she struggled to get through the intense pressure. Then hurried to get the bag and get out to the car._

_Jake was waiting with the door open and did his best to shield her from the storm and winds._

_They got in the car and she used her cell phone to try and call their doctor._

"_Jake, the phone lines are down," she panicked._

"_Great," he said, his eyes widening. _

_They made it halfway to Forks when Jake suddenly stopped. She had been trying to breath through a contraction, her eyes closed and her hands gripped tightly on the arm rests._

"_What are you doing?" she hissed, as her eyes snapped open._

_Through the headlights, she could see the giant tree that stretched across the road. _

"_No, No," she repeated, blinking as if it might disappear._

"_Bella, I think we're going to have to go back," Jake told her calmly._

"_Can't you move the tree?" she enquired, her eyes flying shut as she felt another wave of intense pressure._

"_I'm a werewolf, not superman," he reminded her._

"_Can't you carry me over it or something. I need to have this baby in a hospital with medicine and people who know what they're doing," she insisted._

"_It's not safe to go out there in this storm and there's no way an ambulance is getting here. Bella, our options right now are to have the baby in the car, or we can get back home and call Sue, who's likely to know what to do much better than me," Jake reasoned, already turning the car around._

_Bella was about to retort with the fury she was feeling at this change of events, when suddenly she froze, "I think my water just broke."_

_Jake slammed on the gas and they made their way back to La Push in half the time it had taken them to drive before. _

_Most of the ride was a blur as Bella struggled to breath deeply and not fall to pieces. _

_Jake pulled into the Clearwater's driveway and was opening her door before she had realized he was gone._

_He practically carried her up to the door, where he knocked so hard she was fairly sure the door was going to cave in._

_Leah answered, took one look at Bella, and called for her mom as she let them in and struggled to get the door closed against the wind._

"_She went into labor?" Sue guessed as she entered the room, a flashlight in one hand and Seth right behind her._

"_Yeah," Jake agreed, seeming to lose the calm he had held in the car. He looked as panicked as she felt._

"_How far apart are her contractions?" Sue asked as she led them into the living room and sent Leah to go find some plastic and sheets._

"_Four minutes, maybe three," Jake guessed._

"_And has her water broken?" Sue enquired, as she helped Leah spread out the materials on the floor and get her situated._

_Before they could answer Sue sent Seth to the kitchen to boil water, more to get him out of the way then anything else. _

"_Yes," Bella replied._

_Leah was starting to light candles around the room to give them light and they set up a lantern in the middle of the floor._

"_Alright, it looks like you're eight centimeters dilated. You'll probably have the baby fairly soon," Sue informed her._

_They all looked up as Seth came rushing back into the room, "The power's out."_

_He held a pot of water in one hand and his eyes were wide with panic. _

"_That's what the downstairs fireplace is for," Leah informed him and Seth instantly retreated from the room. _

"_Will you go grab my nursing bag?" Sue requested to Leah and Leah hurried to comply. _

_Time seemed to speed up and soon she was pushing, sweat running down her forehead and Jake's hand being crushed in hers. _

_The thunder was pounding in the background and the wind seemed more furious then it had been when she believed the house was going to collapse around them. It seemed as if they were in the midst of a tempest._

_Then, Bella heard the first cries of her child and she felt tears burn in her eyes. _

"_It's a girl," Sue announced, with a smile._

_Leah wrapped the baby in a towel and handed her to Bella, who cuddled her close to her chest._

"_She's beautiful," Bella crooned._

"_Yeah, she is," Jake agreed._

_Sue helped Jake cut the umbilical cord and Leah, Sue, and Jake began to clean up. _

_By the time Bella had changed into some of Leah's clothes, Seth was back, holding a boiling pot of water._

"_You did good, little brother," Leah announced patting him on the shoulder, "Why don't you go dump it down the sink."_

_He cast her an annoyed look, but disappeared back into the kitchen. _

"_What do you think we should name her?" Jake asked, as he kneeled down next to her, by the couch where she had moved too._

"_Well, I was trying to think of a name that could honor both of our mother's. Sarah and Renee are a little hard to combine, but I finally found the name Serenity, Serenity Sue Black," Bella told him with a smile in the direction of where Sue was watching them. _

"_I like it," Jake agreed._

"_It's fitting," Leah added, as she gestured to the window._

_They all paused to listen, and sure enough the rain had stopped, leaving everything peaceful and quiet. The calm after the storm._

_Bella looked down at her sweet, beautiful daughter and felt completely content. _

"_You mind if I hold her?" Leah enquired, moving closer to where she and Jake were._

"_Not at all. Our next daughter's getting named after you," Bella informed her as she handed the baby over. _

_Leah smiled, the first smile that Bella had ever seen completely devoid of bitterness. _

"_I'll hold you to that," Leah told her, laughing slightly. _

_Bella looked around the room; at the smiles that were on everyone's faces. Everything seemed to glow and be tinged in complete and utter bliss. Everything suddenly seemed so full of hope._

* * *

"Mommy?" a small voice broke Bella out of her thoughts.

"Yes," Bella turned away from the window, to look at her five year old daughter.

"Ian pulled Leah's hair," Serenity, or Ren, as they called her, said.

"Ephraim Charlie Black," Bella's voice rose loud enough for the entire house to hear.

Two four year old children came running around the corner, one showing the signs of recent tears.

"What did I say about pulling your sisters' hair?" Bella enquired, placing her hands on her hips.

"Not to," Ian whimpered, his eyes glancing guiltily over to Leah.

"You'd better apologize right now," Bella insisted.

"I'm sorry, Leah," Ian said quickly, patting his twin on the arm.

Leah nodded, and Ian turned back to Bella to await his punishment.

"Why don't you go clean your room?" Bella told him and the little boy immediately sprinted off.

"Come here," Bella bended down the best she could over her eight weeks pregnant stomach and opened her arms.

Leah instantly ran into them and Bella took the opportunity to wrap Ren into her embrace as well.

"Mommy, do you think the new baby will be a girl?" Ren enquired, as she brushed her little hand over her mother's stomach.

"I don't know," Bella replied.

"I hope it is," Ren told her and then the two little girls glanced at each other and dissolved into giggles.

"What?" Bella enquired, a smile rising on her face at their laughter.

"It's just that I said hope and Leah's middle name is Hope," Ren explained, the two of them dissolving into more laughter.

Bella shook her head and let the girls return to playing as she returned to making dinner.

Minutes later she heard the door open and Leah Clearwater entered the room with a bag of potato chips and a bag of rolls.

"Has Jake fired up the grill yet?" she enquired as she took a seat in the bar stool across from Bella.

"No, he called a couple minutes ago to say he was on his way home from work," Bella told her.

"How's the pregnancy? Have you finally gotten past the morning sickness?" Leah enquired, as she opened the bag of chips and popped one into her mouth.

"I'll occasionally find a food that makes me want to gag, but overall I'm not nearly as nauseated as I have been," Bella replied.

After sharing the experience of Ren's birth, Bella and Leah had become best friends. Leah spent more time at Bella's house then she did at her own and she spoiled Bella's kids completely. There was rarely a day that went by when Leah and Bella didn't talk or see each other.

Sue was a constant presence in their lives as well. Although, the kids called her, "Grandma." Which was an official title since she had married Charlie a year ago. Bella had been thrilled to be able to officially call Leah her sister, and to have Seth as a younger brother.

Sue and Charlie seemed really happy, everyone seemed happy, including Leah, who had not only caught the bouquet at Sue's wedding, but was now seriously dating a writer who had moved to Forks for inspiration. Personally, Bella felt that Evan had found his inspiration more in Leah, then in the scenery. She had been disappointed when Evan had been unable to come because he was visiting his family.

Jake walked into the house, tossing his keys in the bowl that sat on top of the fridge, Strategically placed after their kids had gotten mobile, and paused to give Bella a kiss.

"Took you long enough," Leah teased, a smile on her face.

"You could've started on the hamburgers. Aren't you always ranting about equality, or something?" Jake joked back.

Leah rolled her eyes, but let the argument drop. Instead helping Bella moved the rolls into a bowl, while Jake went out to heat the grill.

"Aunt Leah," Ren screamed and suddenly all three of Bella's kids were pouncing on their aunt.

"Sorry, we're late," another voice rang out as more entered the home.

Charlie and Sue came in, followed by Seth and his girlfriend and imprint, Abigail, or Abby.

The kids pounced on the new relatives and Bella smiled.

Later, after everyone had eaten and dinner had been cleaned up, everyone sat in the living room talking.

Leah and Bella sat next to each other on the couch, with Jake on Bella's other side. He held her hand, stroking it subconsciously and the kids played on the floor in the middle of them.

"Funny how everything's seemed to work out for the best isn't it?" Leah commented, quiet enough that only Bella could hear.

The others were conversing about mundane topics, content just to be surrounded by family.

"Yeah, I couldn't have imagined this before. I'm glad I didn't give it all up," Bella replied.

The sound of rain began to hit the windows reached their ears and all of the children paused to look up.

"Mommy, can we please go outside to play?" Ren pleaded.

"Please," the littlest Leah added.

Bella glanced over at Jake and he gave a small nod.

"Alright," Bella agreed and all three children let out cheers.

Soon, they were tugging adults outside into the rain. Bella laughed as Jake pulled her into a waltz and the children splashed in the puddles.

And she was once again hit with how happy she was that she had waited and that she hadn't given everything up.

"It was all worth the wait," Bella echoed Jake's words from so long ago.

"I'm glad you were patient and didn't marry the first guy that came your way," Jake replied, altering her answer from before.

"Yeah, me too," she agreed and she laughed again as Jake pulled her in for a kiss.


End file.
